How Much Time Should You Spend Job Searching?

Did you just graduated college or looking to change your career? How much time should you devote applying for a new job? This can differ depending on a multitude of things such as the type of job you are applying for, whether or not you have experience and skills or if you are applying for a full time or part time job. It can also depend on your life/work circumstances and goals, but here’s are a few quick tips to use to decide how much time you can allocate to your job search. First, be very aware there is a fine line between not spending enough time and spending too much time and getting stressed out. If you don’t spend enough time, your job search won’t get off the ground. If you spend too much time, you’re likely to burn yourself out, therefore try to find a good balance.

College Blues

Let’s start with the scenario that you are about to graduate from college. Your almost done and your dream career is waiting for you! On average college students should technically start looking for employment at least three months prior to commencement. This allows you to have a better chance of having something lined up as soon as you graduate. This also decreases the chance of you having to wait longer to land a job if you start sooner. Also, if you are denied multiple jobs during your early application submission this period can provide you with the time to perfect your resume. If ever you are turned down for a position it is very important to follow up and get answers as to why. This is a very significant answer for you to be aware of, so that you do not continually make the same mistakes. This will then allow you to correct your action early rather than later. Also, be aware that people apply for jobs year-round, however the months of April to June are usually when college graduations take place and thus application submissions increase. Therefore, by you submitting your resume a few months sooner gives you leverage and an actual shot at landing the position instead of competing with 500 other candidates that will submit their resume soon after.

Finally Done! Not Quite

Let’s say that you just graduated college and you spent little to no time applying for any jobs. Well, this is the time that you should probably start to tie up your boots! You should be spending at least 4 to 6 hours per day applying for jobs within your field. Prior to submitting your application, I would first suggest getting your resume looked over by a professional. Ensuring that there are no errors, that it’s not too long or wordy, that it describes you perfectly and has your best foot forward. Many college grads get looked over for great jobs due to their resume mistakes, don’t let that be you.

Change of Pace

Are you someone who is looking for a career change? This can be subjective as to how long you should be spending on a job search due to you possibly already have experience, skills and understanding of your particular profession. Therefore, you may only need to spend anywhere from 1-2 hours per day to possibly 5 hours per week looking for a similar career. For the simple fact that you already know what they are looking for and you already know what they want. Thus, makes it a lot easier to obtain a job in the same or similar profession.

Now if you are looking to climb the corporate ladder it may take a little longer. You already have the knowledge and skill, but they may also what additional attributions. Consequently, you may need to figure out what else they are looking for such as years of experience, certifications and so on. Thus, possibly spending a little more time on your job search, 3 to 4 hours per day applying for a more advance job is suitable. Also, like recommended before ensure to have a specialist look over your resume to guarantee that it will not be thrown out due to grammatical errors.

Last Drum Roll Please

Lastly, a few tips in your job search that could help is to ensure to go for quality over quantity. Focus on the essentials such as applying only for jobs that are truly a strong match, writing compelling cover letters that are customized for each opening, having a resume that focuses on your achievements rather than just responsibilities and making sure you’re tapping into your network. Also ensure to connect with new or old co workers and bosses, have great references. As well as a few internships, externships or volunteer positions.